I didn’t even know Lea Salonga was in Busan to watch BTS’ ARIRANG concert until after their show on June 13. We were heading back to Haeundae when one of my friends shared in our ARMY group chat an Instagram post by another friend: a selfie with Lea.
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Deriz, our friend, told us how she had bumped into Lea outside the Busan Asiad Main Stadium. Lea looked like she was trying to figure out which gate to enter, so Deriz offered to help, especially after learning that they were both seated in bleachers on the south side of the venue. Deriz also told us how unassuming and down-to-earth Lea, an international star, was.
‘influencers’ who demand vip treatment should be ashamed bc wdym THE lea salonga is lining up for bts?????? THE broadway diva????? pic.twitter.com/uuneoUQfhB
— 🙂 (@salonga___) June 14, 2026
“The biggest VIP among all the Filos at the con is seated in Gen R,” I replied, knowing how fans fight tooth and nail for VIP Soundcheck tickets.
Among the countless Filipino ARMYs who watched the concert, Lea was undoubtedly the biggest celebrity by merit. She has been famous all her life, but she chose to set aside her VIP status and simply become one ARMY among thousands.
THEE lea salonga interacting with her fellow bts fans 🥺💜 anong feeling na oomf niyo po ang broadway diva? pic.twitter.com/AFWOhvgdhz
— andra ayala (@feleacity) June 14, 2026
Given her stature, I wouldn’t be surprised if her team could secure a premium seat for her or even arrange a private meet-and-greet with RM, Jin, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook.
Instead, the internationally acclaimed theater actress walked alongside the rest of ARMY under the sweltering Busan sun. Lea endured the same chaotic crowd management that tested everyone’s patience. She handed out fan-made freebies just as countless ARMYs did.
And when the lights dimmed and BTS took the stage, she celebrated our favorite seven boys with the same unfiltered joy as everyone around her. The moment was made even more special because it was BTS’ 13th anniversary that weekend.
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Lea later took to Instagram, posting a photo of her ARMY Bomb glowing purple against the backdrop of BTS’ stage, accompanied by the caption: “Plenty to unpack… here’s this for now.”
That caught my attention. Lea’s first post wasn’t a selfie or a video of herself at the concert. It was BTS’ stage and her ARMY Bomb—the ultimate physical proof of being a committed ARMY.
That was refreshing to me. Lately, I’ve noticed how social media posts by fans in BTS concerts appear curated in ways that make me wonder who the real stars of the content are: BTS or the fans themselves?
Lea Salonga casually handing out freebies to ARMYs, entertaining everyone, and being the sweetest person ever. As if I needed another reason to adore her. Borahae, Taeta!!! 🥹💜 pic.twitter.com/QujXCH5myL
— daph 𓈒𓏸˚₊ (@etoileaxvv) June 15, 2026
There’s nothing inherently wrong with content leading to micro-celebrity or being influencers. Social media has democratized fame in remarkable ways. But some posts make me uneasy—when the focus clearly shifts from celebrating BTS as artists we admire and love to using them as a vehicle for personal visibility and online recognition.
I’ve also found myself wondering whether social media has quietly changed our relationship with concerts. We go to concerts to see our favorite artists perform live and enjoy their music.
But instead of simply living in the moment, are there fans who now experience concerts through the lens of capturing a potentially viral post?
The same question extends beyond fans. Do some celebrities leverage their own fame to gain more influence and recognition in the fandom?
It’s easy to make BTS the centerpiece of content that attracts more followers and engagement –especially now, as the group has become even more popular following their return last March after a four-year break to fulfill their mandatory military service.
I admit I am not immune to that temptation.
Early this year, my friends and I began toying with the idea of creating social media content related to BTS and fangirling. We don’t have a clear concept yet. It’s also difficult to shape a plan that isn’t particularly unique. But what we do know is that we want to emphasize the fun in being a fan.
Our little project has stalled at the planning stage, and perhaps that’s for the best, as I continue to process what I’ve learned from the Lea Salonga School of Fangirling. The last thing I want is to become the very object of my own critique.
Let me also share how two of my BTS-related social media posts gave my self-esteem a fleeting boost.
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One was BTS’ group photo from their concert in Tampa, to which I added a stick-figure drawing of an ARMY with her arm around Yoongi. It has received almost 11,000 likes and has been shared and bookmarked hundreds of times. It’s the most “successful” post I’ve had in nearly two decades on social media. Just a few days ago, I posted a funny clip of JK from his livestream after their concert in Madrid. To date, it has garnered nearly 2,000 engagements.
Their reach is relatively modest by social media standards. And I know they were outliers—rare moments when a witty thought happened to resonate with fellow fans.
We’re all fans, and we all dream of having that special encounter with our seven boys. At the same time, social media has given all of us a platform where we can feel seen and, for some, even validated.
Maybe Lea understands fangirling better than most of us because she is an artist herself. She knows what it’s like to be the object of people’s admiration, just as much as she knows what’s it like to admire other artists.
For Lea Salonga, BTS was the center of attention that weekend in Busan. She was an ARMY who watched her beloved band perform, and embraced the opportunity to live the whole concert experience as a regular fan.
Her quiet humility reminded me that the truest expression of being a fan is celebrating the artists you came to see—the artists whose music, and the joy they bring us, have become part of our lives.
